Big Shiny Nine

“We were long overdue to reach down and use some of that secret blues language, which means ‘How do you sing about something with sexual content without saying it?’

“I brought the tune forward, and Frank and Dusty were nervous. They said, ‘Gee, we kind of know what you’re talkin’ about. We’re gonna get busted on this one.’ I said, ‘No, we’re from Texas. It’s about… carrying a 9mm pistol!’ [laughs]

“Frank is drumming great on this record. One thing that changed ZZ Top for the better was in the ‘80s when Eliminator and Afterburner became such runaway successes. Those were the records that made us attempt to play in good time. If you’re a drummer, you’ll know that’s the goal. It’s why Beethoven had a metronome sitting on his piano.”